Meet Rebecca
Rebecca Ann LaForest
Rebecca Ann Gilbert graduated from The King’s College, Briarcliff Manor, NY, in 1992 with a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education, having completed her student teaching requirements at Crompond Elementary (public) School in Yorktown Heights, NY. She began teaching the next fall at Central Jersey Christian School in Asbury Park, NJ, where she graduated high school. The following year Rebecca took a frst grade position at Lighthouse Christian Academy, in Manahawkin, NJ, and, that January, she also took the name LaForest, when she married Peter.
Rebecca’s first class – fifth grade at Central Jersey Christian School, Asbury Park, NJ, in 1992.
Rebecca and other teachers at a PCA booth for a community day.
In 1996 she began her 15 years of service at Penn Christian Academy in East Norriton, PA. There she taught pre-k, kindergarten, and middle school language arts before transitioning to the pre-school administrator. During her tenure at PCA Rebecca participated in the re-accreditation process for the pre-school and middle school with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Middle States Commission on Higher Eduction. She also served on ACSI teams that evaluated other Christian schools for accreditation.
In 2009 Rebecca completed a Masters degree in Eduction and earned a K-12 Principal Certifcate from Cabrini University in Radnor, PA.
Rebecca loved supporting her students outside of the classroom and often attended their extracuricular events, like plays, musical performances and athletic competitions.
She went back to the classroom in 2010 as the third grade teacher at Grace Christian Academy, Franklin, TN. Rebecca also served as a mentor, helping other teachers meet their ACSI certification requirements and teaching a course on Christian education and a biblical world view. Once again she served on an ACSI accreditation team to evaluate a Christian school in Mississippi. In 2017 Rebecca transitioned to the pre-school director serving in that capacity until December 2019.
Rebecca started a fun day for her 3rd graders at GCA. Each year they would swim in the creek that runs on the property. She would swim and play in the mud with the kids.
At GCA, families would bid on teacher outing days at a silent auction to benefit the school. Some of the trips Rebecca took students on included cliff repelling, cave tours, animal encounter parks and go cart racing.
In 2017 Rebecca and Peter answered the call to become foster parents. They completed their training and home study, and 3 days after receiving their license, they welcomed a sibling group of 3 children into their home. Rebecca became an amazing foster mom and championed for the kids through countless medical appointments, court hearings, counseling sessions, IEP meetings and family visits. The LaForests fought hard for family reunification of the kids by investing in the lives of the parents, but Zack and Ella found their forever family through adoption on March 3, 2020. Rebecca had already become “mom” long before the papers were signed, but that made it official. The LaForests also served as foster parents to a fourth child, who was successfully reunited with family.
Zack and Ella’s adoption party on March 3, 2020.
After GCA, Rebecca became a private tutor for the families of two local Christian recording artists. She enjoyed her new experience as a tutor, getting to serve the kids and their families in their homes. Rebecca also became a substitute teacher in the Maury County Public School System, TN for elementary, middle and high schools. She found a whole new excitement and fulfillment in bringing the light of Jesus into the public school setting.
Rebecca lived out her passion as an educator in this life, until she moved to heaven on August 16, 2022.
Rebecca with some of her tutoring students on a lunch outing.
Rebecca loved teaching. She loved serving the kids, her fellow faculty and staff, and the parents and families of the students. She believed in Christian education and the formative role it has in the lives of children. Rebecca had a passion for integrating a biblical world view into every aspect of school. Most of all, she loved being a part of God’s kingdom building transformational work and the spiritual formation of the children, families and teachers He placed in her care.
Rebecca’s classroom management balanced high demand and high love. She expected much from her students, who gladly chose to meet her expectations, because they knew how much Rebecca loved them.
Rebecca adopted the theme Fully Rely On God (FROG) for her 3rd grade class and decorated the room with it. Rebecca was passionate about making a reading center where the kids loved hanging out, motivating them to read.
While teaching third grade at GCA Rebecca adopted the theme of FROG, Fully Rely On God. To her it was more than a cute acronym around which to decorate the classroom. Paramount to everything else, relationship with God was the foundation of her teaching and service, and it was what she hoped her students would choose for themselves.
The Rebecca LaForest Education Foundation promotes Christian education aligned with Rebecca’s ideals.